The Portland daily press., 1887-10-25
DRIVEN FROM HOME,
Adam S. Green Gives His Own story
Of the Affair at Aberdeen, Miss.

4
| You may have noticed among your recent
exchanges short article in the Boston Jour-
nal entitled driven. from Home" Though
stated an account Of the outrages in full tc
which was subjected in the so-called ''New
South" only brief editorial was made Of
It, l should like an account of these out
RACES to have more publicity, and our good
people of New England to have correct
views OF the state of affairs in the South
ana Tor that reason make a brief state.
ment to you OF all the unpleasant affairs that
befell me,an of what led to mylbeing an ex.
lie from the home of my birth.
After my return home the negroes of the
village were very anxious have me to take
charge of the village school,: but the majority
Oh the white citizens-the mayor, most of the
board OF aldermen, the county superintendent
Oh education, and other prominent officials.
! spurred on by at least two Democratic ne
groes In the place,-a j. P. Somis, the former
principal OF the school, and Taylor Goodwin.
barber-were very much opposed to my oh
tanning the school, alleging that | would
teach the negroes my maine ideas of social
| equality" and hence cause friction be-
tween the blacks and the whites
Their true objection, however, was this, as
was said OF me and to me by white citizens
| OF the town. Green is an educated ai0oer f:
he has had better educational advantages
than any white man in the State of Missis-
slppi' II VIII never do to have better edu-
Gated teacher for the 'aiggers' than we have
for our own children: hence we must either
scare him out, or drive him out of the town. .
Threats Of "lynching," Earring and feath-
erlng," and such like unpleasantries were
freely thrown out against mel consequence.
If persisted in my efforts to obtain the
| school,
The superintendent Of education said in
conversation to me about the school, eve
don't want you herel We don't want any
OF your Maine culture and ideas down here.
learn that you have come here to teach the
negroes to hold up their heads and be men.
ana that you said you never felt youreelf to
be man until you had crossed Mason and
Dixon's Line; and tell you now you had
better leave the county just as quick as pos
slDlo, for you shall not be sllotoed to teach a
school Of any description IN it. You were in
Maine. why did you not stay there? What
did you come back here for2 The .niggers'
are doing well enough, and can get along
without you, Tor have dozen or more bet
ter black teachers in the county to-day than
you are, with all your fine culture, and nice
you speak, fSPoA
There Is no Disgusting the fact. the white
people OF the South are opposed to the INTEL
lectual advancement of the negro, asIhas been
clearly SHOWN IN the Infamous "Glenn Bill'
OF the so-called Empire of the South. Georgia.
originating, too, in Grady's own city-Grady'
That olly-tongued orator of the Atlanta Con-
stltutlon, who made glowing and finely
drawn speech before the elite of New York
CITY ehy on .torefathers' Day." alleging that
the South had arisen, phenix-like, from the
ashes OF the late war nelo South; better by
the bitter experiences through Which IL had
passed; gladly laying aside all sectional hos
tliiIesi extending q hand Of true fraternity
emancipated negro all the rights of life. lib
erty and the pursuit of happiness guaranteed
to him by our Federal Constitution.
The people Of the North have seen a yerif-
cation OF the falsity OF Grady's statements
A startling fact learned during the school
persecution to which / was subjected was
that about three years ago no negro was al
lowed to teach school In the county unless
he subscribed to the so-called ssiron clad
oath" the substance Of which was as fol-
lows; Il DO hereby s0lemnly swear to sup
port, perpetuate and defenu to the hest az
my ability, the interest and permanency of
y democratic party; to live by it. swear by
oath, hence the efforts of his Democratic
friends to keep me out of the school,
Inc truth1ulness as to this "iron-clad
oath" was attested to me by negroes who
were out OF schools, because they refused to
submit 80 suck a lowering of their manhood
The bitterness against me at Aberdeen
reached crisis Sunday evening. Sent. az
when, IN consequence of the postmaster's
tamperlng with my mail, or in some other
way obtaining copy of the Fairfield Jour
nal, Maine, containing an article from nv
pen on the Southern Wage System" com.
pany OF eight whites visited me at home.
bringing with them a copy Of the Journal
and warning me to leave the town srithin
JarSt tin6 they could reach" They further
added: You must not stop short this side
Mason and Di1on's Line, for aye mean to
publish you throughout the ichole South, and
10 make IL as hot as possible for yOul''
The next day when left Aberdeen. the
1eellng had grown so intensely bitter against
me that 1t was not safe to 90 to the Station
IN the town, but had to be carried to anoth-
or Town, Egypt IL miles distant, before
boarding the train.
I'm route to New York, / suffered in a ter
rlDle railroad accident and came near losing
my HE; my right cheek was badly cut; one
OF my, upper front teeth knocked out. and
my right eye almost destroyed
While conyalescing from this accident at
jackson, in Tennessee, kilograms were sent
from the officials at Aberdeen, seeking to in
huence the minds Of the whites there against
me; and they had their effect in so embitter-
ing tne whites there against me, that could
not obtain anything scarcely for damages
against the road, saving my board and lodg- |
ing. and physicians bill
The whites of Aberdeen carried ont their |
threats In giving me publicity throughout |
the South. Communications were sent to |
QaUQrql hni mn T..
cities.
give you an extract that was taken from
the New Orleans Times Democrat"
AN ERUDITE MAINE NEGRO IN TRorrR1r |
DOWN SOUTH
ABERDEEN MISS, Sept 27.-For two or |
in quiet way caused by race disturbing talks |
ana writings by negro named Adam Green, who |
was raised here, but educated in Maine, having |
graduated from college In that State last June |
The matter eliminated on Sunday night, when |
newspaper published at Fairfield, reached here |
containing a lengthy communication from This |
negro, Green, in Which be characterized the |
Southern people as robbers and thieves, indolent,
ahd P.ess mo dhs reading q the aE
diif1culty that they were prevented from hanging
MN. Peace, however, prevailed, and at 10
o'clock Sunday night a vigilance committee
found IN the city or county at the expiration of |
hours he would certainly be hanged
He accepted the warning and left yesterday
afternoon TO the disappointment of great many
who wanted to hang him to the first limb. is
hoped here that the Southern people will keep
lin moving. . He is well educated and IS |
calculated to do great harm among the negroes"
While in New Yerk | received two letters
rom my sister stating that the night / left
he house was Overrun with white villains in
quest of me, and that they continued the
search for several days. Such is a true pic
ure of Grady's New South l now am in
straits. | hardly know what to do. am
low owing about $50 at Waterville for col
eye expenses, and must earn the money in
' '1e way. would like permanent EN-
lloyment, and should be most thankful il
:ome Of our good Maine people should put
NJ Ell IN the way of finding something. II l